2009 Fortune 500: Who’s in second place

I have worked for Wal-mart for 8 years. I have worked in two different stores. I don’t think unions are the answer. If there is a problem with an associate and their job position, it is enough to have two people discussing the problem, and then having a third union member. It’s a waste of money to the associates and most would not benefit from having a union in place. I believe having a responsible management team is the answer for associate problems. By having a respectable team washes away all the immature drama that goes on in stores. By working in two different stores, I saw the difference in how a good and bad management team affects a store. I currently work in a store in West Madison, WI. The store functions very well, because of a great respectable management team.

I worked for Wal-Mart for fives years. During that time I worked as a dept manager, loss prevention, ICS team lead and store setup.

I will say that my time there was fairly mixed. I have worked in a few different stores and some were a real pleasure to work in and others…one in particular was the worst employment experience of my life.

Unions in my mind are not the answer. I personally feel unions are one of the many reasons for the destruction of the American Auto Industry (my father worked for GM for 35 years).

From my experience I would say Wal-Mart as a company has the tools in place to be a wonderful place to work (I’ve seen it first hand). The open door policy, profit sharing, associates with needs funds are just a few examples.

The main problem with Wal-Mart from my prospective has been the lack of standards held by members of management. Market Managers need to be more open to employees complaints at the store level. The Grass Roots survey needs to have real consequences for store managers who consistently score poorly.

I’ve seen store managers deflect any concerns over the grass roots survey onto the dept managers. Explaining that dept managers are part of the management staff and that it was them (dept managers) that the survey was directed because that is the part of the management team the the associates are in more direct contact with. Thus skirting any responsible to the Store manager.

The two main people that effect the happiness of in store associates are the Market Manager and the Store manager. If you keep your employees happy they will provide better service for your customers.

Wal-Mart’s main problem is lack of competition to keep them honest. So some store managers feel they can get away with treating employees poorly because it does not effect them. If they (the employee) leave you hire more, if customers complain fire the associate or “coach” them and hire a new one.

The customers complaint is worthless anyways. As one store manager I worked with put it. They can feel free to shop the competition…oh wait we pushed them out of town years ago.

As a member of Loss Prevention (before they became Asset Protection) I was used as a tool to get rid of employees that our store manager wanted rid of. They wanted every little thing the employee did documented and recorded on video. All because this group of associate’s spoke out about the manager and his assistants using the Open Door policy.

To sum it up. I heard a store manager once explain to his associates that the Respect for the Individual doctrine at Wal-Mart was not a rule. It was only a guideline that was created by Mr. Sam, and he is dead along with his principles and if any of you are unhappy about things here good luck in the unemployment line. This was stated at a morning meeting two minutes before conducting the Wal-Mart “cheer”.

As an accountant it is part of my job to pay your union dues out of your wages. It is a costly item that I do not see the benefits from. How are businesses supposed to compensate their employees more when these unions see fit to demand their pay first. If you want better pay and an all around better work moral, then don’t bring in a third party that claims to be on your side and takes away your wages.

I would also like to add that I worked at Wal-Mart in my youth and I did not love nor hate my time there. It is a job like any other and you are working directly with the public. Wal-Mart can not be responsible for the behavior of all of their employees. Chances are if the employee is sour with their employee they are probably not happy their and it would be best for them to leave. The same goes for an angry CSM. If they are no longer satisfied with their employer then they should leave.
I don’t know about you, but if you put aside all of the union scares and disgruntled employees, the company financials and revenue have flurished. Wal-Mart is doing great in a economic hardship.

Thanks

Walmart needs to turn its focus to within, stop treating “associates” like equipment they over work to build the company then throw away when really all it needs is a tune up. Unions are not the answer but management honesty.

Flipping through these comments makes me laugh. You are all bickering about Wal-Mart pay or products being from another nation. Seriously, do you think before you type. If you dont like the pay, find another job or get educated enough to get one (FYI the oil industries have been looking to fill 10,000 positions, you need your masters to get them). On top of that, Made in the USA is really a joke for most things. Do you really want to sit in a factory crafting purses all day long, and if you do and get paid what you want, are you willing to turn around and pay $75-100 instead of $5-15 for it. They will pass the cost onto consumers so it is better than developing nations get those factory jobs. We are a nations that earned its niche by being on the cutting edge, we were powerhouses in steel innovation, factory innovation and the sorts THOSE DAYS ARE PAST. Get educated and create the new innovations of tomorrow. Ill give you a hint, its not in a factory, so get over it.

Wal-Mart treats their employees very poorly. Enough said. A union is the only way the employees will even get close to receiving fair treatment from Management in this particular company. Too bad, really, but they should reep what they have sewn.

You make a very big assumption. Many people work for Walmart to be rewarded for their individual efforts. We neither want nor need a union to speak or bargain for us, not to mention to take our money to give to politicians. Many of our associates are former union members(working for other retailers) who found that top performers fare much better without said union. In addition this part of what makes this country great is the secret ballot. If our polititions forget this I will be glad to work to recall them and/or vote them out at the earliest opportunity.

Please stop the unions before they destroy another American business!
Unions cripple the ability of companies to grow in ways that benefit themselves and their customers. Walmart has attained remarkable heights in efficiency and the results are the values that are passed on to its customers. The number one way to destroy effiency in any organization is to unionize it. There are local, state and federal laws that protect employees on wages, hours, hiring practices and many more labor issues and while a lot of these laws may be attributable to the union’s early years and for that they can be credited, they can also be credited with the stagnation of business growth in the U.S.
If the employment structure at Walmart wasn’t desirable, they wouldn’t have the employees to become the largest and most successful company in the history of the world.
Don’t kill the efficiency that Walamrt has worked so hard to attain which provides such a valuable resource to its customers who need Walamrt now more than ever.

I have worked for Walmart for 8 yrs,…and I believe my store does the right thing for their associates. Granted, if any job was a picnic…they wouldn’t call it work.
Atleast I have a job that is pretty recession proof, have benefits, and I enjoy what I do.
I’m with the people who say that if you don’t like what Walmart has to offer…look elsewhere.
The grass is only greener over the septic tank.

BESIDES PAYING LOW WAGES, AND HAVING MOSTLY IMPORTED INFERIOR PRODUCTS,WALMART LEAVES THEIR EMPLOYEES TO SPIN IN THE WIND AS FAR AS HEALTH INSURANCE COVERAGE. AND THEN GUESS WHO PAYS FOR THEIR HEALTH CARE? YOU DO– AS THEY HAVE TO GO ON THE STATE DOLE FOR HEALTH CARE–IE: YOU AND ME!! THE MOST PROFITABLE-WAIT-THE SECOND MOST PROFITABLE–RETAILER IN THE WORLD TAKES ABSOLUTELY NO RESPONSIBILITY FOR THEIR WORKERS SO THEIR BOTTOM LINE IS NOT AFFECTED.YET,I’M SURE ALL THE “BIG SHOTS” GET THE BIG BONUSES.WHAT A TWISTED,IMMORAL WAY TO RUN A BUSINESS. IT’S ALWAYS BACK TO THE ALMIGHTY BUCK-BUT NOT FOR THE HARD WORKING EMPLOYEES, ONLY FOR CORPORATE LEVEL. SHAME ON YOU,WALMART.

unions are reason GM, Ford and the whole country is in the shape its in. nothing but a bunch of organized mobs with a licence to push their way into businesses unions need to be abolished!!!!

Turn out the lights at Walmart if the unions do for it what they have done for GM.

I know several folks who work for Wal-Mart, also, and the image you see in the ads is definitely not the same experienced by their employees. There is a lot that goes on behind the scenes that causes the employees to be very miserable and unhappy, not to mention worn completely out at the end of their workday. And I know, you hear it every day, “If you don’t like it, quit.” That is so easy for someone with a sound job, paycheck, and lifestyle, to say. Why doesn’t Wal-Mart simply clean up their act by making things they are portraying in their ads, be a reality in the actual workplace.

Wal-Mart cut hours to hourly workers. I work at Wal-Mart (2593) and our hours have been cut 25%. Is this company wide

Please don’t let the unions do for wal-mart what they have done for the steel industry, autos, airlines, and education…they ruined those and are in need of fresh meat!!

I currently work for Wal-Mart and I am a customer there as well. I’ve been with the company for a little over four years now, and I have witnessed some durastic changes in the way the stores are being staffed. It seems to me Wal-Mart is following similar business models as some of the other top companies. However it is bothersome to know that for all of the cut backs within the store’s staff, the sacrifices we as associates continue make, Wal-Mart remains among the top 5 fortune 500 companies. What does that mean to the average associate? The associates of my store are spread so thin, that are customers are forced to search us out for assistance. For as much preaching as our store manager does about filling our outs and serving the needs of our customers it all seems hypocritical. They cut us at the knee, asking all of us to work harder, accomplish more, drive sales, essentially do the work of the three associates for the same pay and the sames hours a week. No overtime EVER allowed, we are forced to cut any we may accrue by the week’s end. Bottom line is this, Wal-Mart is still making a lot of money and will continue to do so for a long time, but it’s associates are the ones having to sacrifice even more than ever without reaping the benefits of our labor.

As for the quality of the products, in my personal opinion they are hit and miss. I’ve spent a lot of money in my store over the years and I’ve have also spent a lot of time returning the inferior products we sell. After a while most consumers learn what types of things are ok to purchase with us and what products to buy elsewhere.

Wal-Mart rocks. Good merch, great prices, good policies. If you don’t like their wages and benefits, you don’t have to work for them.

I WORK AND SHOP AT STORE 5113 EVERYDAY.GOOD STORE FRIENDLY PEOPLE!

I see this point in time for big Companies to lay off the one’s who have worked longer to hire newbys that they can pay a down grade wage to.
I hope they all lose their assets.

I will tell you what is negative here. I went shopping at Walmart to purchase a purse and every one I picked up was made out of this country. How about MADE IN THE USA. Bring jobs back. That is the American Way.

I do not see any negative comments on WAL-MART yet.
Nothing against WAL-MART, their business model is to acquire “low cost” products from countries with low labor costs and low raw materials costs, countries lacking enforcement of labor laws and human rights, countries lacking laws for quality of goods and products and consumer safety. They acquire these goods and products at low costs and sell them across their world wide marketing chain. Volume is the key word. Large volume with low prices at the end makes good profits.

What do you think of the No. 2 company on the Fortune 500 list this year? Should they be in the top 5?

Have you worked for the company, or bought its products?

Has the recession affected your opinion of big companies?